HARTFORD, Conn. — The Connecticut State Department of Public Health is warning about a rise in whooping cough cases, as cases are nearly 10 times higher than last year.
So far, there have been 93 reported cases of whooping cough in Connecticut, compared to 11 cases in all of 2023.
Health officials say infants and adults are most at risk and need to get a booster shot.
State health care experts said there is no specific area of the Nutmeg State responsible for the increase, but they believe the COVID-19 pandemic is to blame for the rise in cases. This is due to many kids not getting their immunizations when they should have or their immune systems being weaker as they adjust to life out in public as they get older.
Leaders at the state Dept. of Public Health (DPH) said whooping cough often looks like a case of RSV, the flu, or COVID-19.
Patients with a persistent cough should immediately get a nasal swab test for the infection.
Whooping cough is spread through person-to-person contact through the sharing of germs. Experts said whooping cough can be contagious for weeks if it’s on any uncleaned surfaces.
Doctors are asking people ages 11 to 64 to get a single booster dose of the T-DaP vaccine to act as a booster because the one you get as a child wears off over time.
Pregnant women and infants are also considered high risk when it comes to whooping cough. Experts recommend getting T-DaP vaccine during pregnancy.
DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani said watching out for symptoms and early treatment is key.
“This is really what is most important, we are not really aware of any particular clusters but we have been aware of school and day care type outbreaks we’ve seen in close family contacts is where we’ve seen there could be cases and people are up to date on vaccines,” Juthani said.
Health Department leaders are asking anyone who tests positive for the illness to report it to the Connecticut Health Department. You can also find more information here.
Brooke Griffin is a reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at bgriffin@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
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